Canadian music legends and rising stars took over the nation's capital for the 2017 Juno Awards and it was Ottawa's very own A Tribe Called Red who kicked off the televised show fresh off the heels of winning one of the most prestigious awards of the weekend.

The local electronic group won the Jack Richardon producer of the year award at the non-televised gala Saturday night at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. The award recognized the success of their popular track R.E.D. from their politically charged electronic album, We Are the Halluci Nation.

Still overwhelmed from night before, the trio opened up the Sunday show at the Canadian Tire Centre with a powerful performance alongside Canadian singer and Indigenous activist Buffy Sainte-Marie and Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq.

After accepting the Juno, the group told the media winning in their own city "definitely feels good."

"We worked on this album all over the world but we put it together right here in this city so it was definitely a muse," group member Tim Hill said Saturday evening.

A Tribe Called Red was also nominated for electronic album of the year, but the trophy went to Haitian-Canadian producer Kaytranada instead. Grimes also took home a Juno for video of the year over other nominees, including A Tribe Called Red.

Gatineau's Laurence Nerbonne wins Juno

Laurence Nerbonne poses with a Juno after winning for top electronic album at the Juno Gala awards show in Ottawa on Saturday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Gatineau's Laurence Nerbonne also won a Juno award for best French-language album of the year for her XO album during the Saturday gala.

In her bilingual acceptance speech Nerbonne said she was, "happy to be a woman and to produce my music."

"I think it's very important for young girls to continue producing and believing in women. We are capable of being producers," she said.

Other Ottawa acts nominated

Ottawa-based rapper Belly was nominated in the Juno fan choice category, but it was Canadian pop star and teen heartthrob Shawn Mendes who scooped up the award Sunday evening, beating other Canadian singers like Drake and Justin Bieber.

Belly was also nominated for rap recording of the year, but in a surprise move the award went to Jazz Cartier.

Ottawa's Daniel Taylor was nominated for classical vocal album of the year: vocal or choral, but lost to Montreal's L'Aiglon, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano.

Jenny Whiteley was nominated for traditional roots album of the year, but went home empty handed Saturday. The East Pointers won the award.

In the metal category, Guelph's Mandroid Echostar took home a Juno for metal/hard music album of the year. Ottawa's Annihilator was among the nominees.

And local act Silla + Rise was nominated for Indigenous music album of the year. Quantum Tangle won the award for their album, Tiny Hands.